Virginia Beach seeks public vote on new mural for Mt. Trashmore steps

(From left to right) Rick Nickel, Kelsey Witt and Aimee Bruce have created designs for a new public art piece at Mt. Trashmore. Now, Virginia Beach residents are encouraged to vote on which mural they want to see on the park’s steps. (Courtesy of Virginia Beach)

Get ready for a new and artistically improved staircase at Mount Trashmore.

Artists from Hampton Roads will be partaking in a renovation of the Mount Trashmore staircase, which involves creating a fun new look for the park’s steps.

The artists have been challenged to capture the history and culture of this iconic stairwell as well as its cherished park. Now, it’s time for Virginia Beach residents to choose their favorite mural out of three finalists.

The goal is to transform the functional staircase into a beautiful and dynamic piece of public art for Virginia Beach residents and tourists. The steps will exhibit all of the original artwork that both celebrates the unique existence of the park as well as its unusual backstory, according to a Virginia Beach news release.

Virginia Beach Office of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation, chose local artists who are competing to contribute to the task. They’ve narrowed the selection down to three artists: Kelsey Witt, Rick Nickel and Aimee Bruce.

In a news release, Witt described her proposed mural as an overlaying pattern of colors that changes depending on if a park visitor was going up or down the stairs.

“I propose that for this mural I work my way from red at the top all the way down to purple at the bottom. Each stair becoming slowly each color in the spectrum. In contrast, I would create a pattern that overlays the stairs in the opposite color on the spectrum,” Witt said.

Bruce, who named her mural “Helping Hands,” said that she wants her mural to reflect community engagement and interaction.

“When I think of Mount Trashmore, I think of the people and positive encounters I have experienced there,” she said.

Nickel said that his proposed mural of a swimmer represents the fun families have had at the park since it was created in 1974.

“The swimmer represents the enjoyment of self-empowerment and freedom of the water. It represents the joy of enjoying water and the ability to move forward in life,” he said.

You can vote for your favorite mural here. The survey will be open until March 7.

Adrienne Mayfield is an award-winning, multi-media journalist hailing from Clermont, Fla. She moved to Lynchburg, Va. on a whim when she was 19, and worked her way to Hampton Roads in 2013.
Adrienne is passionate about telling people stories via covering public safety and the judicial system. She isn’t afraid to take a heads-on approach to covering crime, including knocking on doors to get the details police aren’t sharing.
Adrienne is a 2014 Old Dominion University graduate who still lives within walking distance of the college. You may see her cruising around Downtown Norfolk on her bike, enjoying a sandwich from Grilled Cheese Bistro or playing fetch with her dog, Greta, at the Colonial Place dog park.